The study also found that between 2000 and 2014, the percentage of alcohol-related traffic deaths in Canada dropped.

According to TIRF’s National Fatality Database, in 2000, almost 35% of fatally injured drivers tested positive for alcohol compared to 12% who tested positive for marijuana.

By 2014, the percentage of alcohol-related traffic deaths had declined to 28%, whereas it had increased to almost 19% for marijuana.

The report notes that “results vary greatly by age,” but it found pot was the drug most commonly detected in deceased drivers aged 16 to 19 and 20 to 34 years old (29.8% and 27.2% respectively).

“What we see is an increasing percentage of fatally injured drivers in Canada who tested positive for marijuana in recent years whereas the percentage who tested positive for alcohol is decreasing,” said Dr. Woods-Fry, a research associate with TIRF.

“While the percent is still higher for alcohol today, if current trends continue, marijuana might become more prevalent among fatally injured drivers.”

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DH Vancouver Staff

Daily Hive is the evolution of Vancity Buzz, established in Vancouver in 2008. In 2016, the publication rebranded and opened newsrooms in Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal. Send story tips to [email protected]